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Thursday, October 19, 2006
Poll exec says time has run out for Charter change (3:35 p.m.)
MANILA -- A senior commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said implementing the people's initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution is impossible at this time, as the election body has already started preparing for the local and congressional elections in 2007.
Citing Republic Act (RA) 6735 or the Initiative and Referendum Act, Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said the commission needs at least three months to prepare assuming that the Supreme Court (SC) upholds the petition for people's initiative filed by Sigaw ng Bayan and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap).
Borra said under RA 6735, any amendment of the Charter through a people's initiative should be not earlier than 60 days and not later than 90 days so if the SC approves the people's initiative petition, preparations will take place starting November and December or January at the latest but by then, it's too near the 2007 elections.
The Comelec had denied the people's initiative petition filed by Sigaw and Ulap for lack of an enabling law. This prompted the two groups to elevate the case to the high tribunal. (MSN/Sunnex) |
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